Rise in Japan’s emissions due to nuclear shutdowns

Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 3.9% this year up to March compared to the previous year due to a rise in fossil fuel generation.

It follows the shutdown of nuclear reactors after the Fukushima disaster last year, which used to provide around 30% of the country’s electricity.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Environment, emissions increased to 1.307 billion metric tons in the 12 months or 3.6% higher than 1990 levels. That was excluding carbon credits, which can be used to offset greenhouse gas output.

Japan aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 6% under the Kyoto Protocol, which was the first global treaty to set binding obligations on countries to cut emissions and expires at the end of this year.

The Japanese Government shut down all 50 of the nation’s nuclear reactors for safety checks with most still offline due to protests against restarting them. This led to Japan being forced to turn to gas and coal-fired power stations.